Love

Do you fall in love with your characters? I do.

I love them as I write them. I love them through their flaws. I love them when they cry and I love them when they laugh.

I have three heroines now and I have enjoyed getting to know each one of them over the years that I have worked to bring them to life on the page.

My first heroine, Abigail, is shy, almost to the point of rudeness. She lacks self-confidence and the esteem to declare what is hers. I enjoyed the journey she and I took to bring her out of her shell and I squealed with delight as she claimed her life as her own. Abigail currently sits in the bottom of a drawer waiting for rewrites but someday I hope to bring her out, improve her, and let her free in the world.

My second heroine, Emmalina, is witty and hardworking. She steps into an unfamiliar world and just takes the bull by the horns. I enjoyed writing her tenacity and grit. She has flaws but she just muscles by the obstacles that are thrown in her way, flaws or no. Emmalina currently sits on my desk, begging to be let loose in the world, eager for the adventure.

My third heroine, E.S.A, is confused and frustrated. She is the first heroine that I have written in first person. I love it! It is a different experience to write through her eyes rather than looking down on her from above. I’ve been able to bring her through the confusion and frustration into a feeling of peace and calmness. Her new found feelings will be put to the test as I finish writing the last third of the story. An old nemesis returns to raise a little hell, perhaps literally, and she deals with heartbreak as she works alongside her lovely, self-destructive brother, Sebastian.

I love all my characters, even the naughty ones.

Do you fall in love with your characters too?